X PREFACE. 



the records stand alone, and are otherwise unsupported 

 by any other evidence, and their fanned values are of 

 course thereby rendered nugatory in the absence of the 

 specimens themselves. Nothing will give us more 

 pleasure than to restore their values, should any of these 

 old specimens of Edward's be yet discovered. 



In this place we may call attention to our Medal- 

 lioned Plate in Volume I., and we trust we have done 

 justice in our selection, and that the portraits of these 

 pioneer Moray naturalists will give pleasure to all our 

 readers, whether natives of Moray or of a much wider 

 country. 



We must not omit to mention that, amongst our 

 earlier available records, are those supplied in the very 

 full and apparently careful and accurate MS. notes by Mr. 

 Hoy of Gordon Castle, written into a copy of Berken- 

 hout's Outlines of Natural History of Great Britain and 

 Ireland, 1769. Mi\ Hoy's notes are descriptive of species, 

 and are comparative with Berkenhout's, but also contain 

 records, with dates and particulars attached, which are 

 valuable from a Faunal point of view, and these will be 

 found alluded to in our text under the several species. 



Considerable doubt has been thrown upon the 

 authenticity of the records of the brothers Allan or 



